Blogcritics Author: Dave Nalle

Product Review: Vogelzang Boxwood Stove

Dave Nalle — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 21:39:31 EST

It may seem anachronistic, but a simple boxwood stove still has a place in many homes.
In the middle of one of our periodic cold snaps in the unpredictable Texas winter I was reminded of what a good idea it was to purchase a Vogelzang Boxwood Stove a few years ago. The stove is a well-made, compact and handy little unit which fits a need which I suspect we share with many other households perfectly. It may seem anachronistic, but...

With Hard Times Coming, Should You Be Armed?

Dave Nalle — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 09:50:03 EST

Will hard economic times lead to a crime wave, or is it just unreasoning paranoia?
When St. Louis Alderman Charles Troupe went to the local police and asked what they could do about the rising crime rate which was threatening his constituents' property and safety, a police commander explained that "there was nothing he could do to protect us and the community ... that he didn't have the manpower." It was a...

The Very Best of Blogcritics Politics 2008

Dave Nalle — Thu, 1 Jan 2009 04:54:45 EST

A look at fifteen of the best articles out of the hundreds we published in the Blogcritics politics section in 2008.
It's been a hell of a year for politics in every possible respect, and we've published a lot of articles on every imaginable topic here on Blogcritics. In going through them to try to select the very best I found a lot of dross, but I also found so many really good articles -- some of which I had missed the first time around -- that I was...

Why Not Caroline Kennedy?

Dave Nalle — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 22:22:12 EST

Shouldn't the only question about Caroline Kennedy be whether she will be an effective advocate for her constituents?
As Hillary Clinton moves on from the Senate to her new position as Secretary of State, New York Governor David Paterson is looking for someone to fill her Senate seat for two years, ending with a special election in 2010. Among those being considered is Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John Kennedy and niece of longtime Senate fixture Teddy...

Concert Review: Raul Malo Christmas Show at Antones in Austin

Dave Nalle — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 18:16:43 EST

Dancing the night away with the cougars of Westlake to the very excellent voice and rocking Christmas tunes of the great Raul Malo.
When I go to a concert these days it's as much a cultural experience as it is a musical experience, because as I get older I get more and more interested in observing the crowd at a concert as well as listening to the music. I like music, but I'm also fascinated by who else likes and listens to that music. So when I write a review it's often as...

Making A Basic Barbeque Sauce

Dave Nalle — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:34:22 EST

Even if you can't master cooking great barbeque, a great sauce just means following the formula.
While I'm a meat purist when it comes to barbeque, most people like a nice, rich sauce with their meat. Not wanting to disappoint or force my taste on others, I've spent some time researching barbeque sauce and going over the sauces I've liked in the past, and experimenting with ingredients to come up with the basics of a good barbeque...

What the Hell is Wrong with Illinois?

Dave Nalle — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:13:52 EST

Should we be worried about what kind of political culture produces four criminal governors in a generation?
Down here in Texas we often make jokes about the day to day tolerance of political corruption in Louisiana. Up in New England they joke about the inbred machine politics of Rhode Island. In the mid-Atlantic states they poke fun at West Virginia's backwoods, populist good-old-boy system. Out on the west coast they point the naughty finger at...

Designing Your Own Holiday Cards

Dave Nalle — Tue, 9 Dec 2008 02:32:38 EST

Simple step-by-step guidelines for creating personal holiday magic.
With the right fonts and the right art, most computer users should be able to make their own holiday cards at a reasonable price, of a quality equal to most professional cards, and with unique personal touches you can't buy in a store.To start with, you will need some inexpensive and easily acquired items. You'll need a good color ink-jet printer....

Software Review: Seashore GIMP Image Editor for MacOS

Dave Nalle — Sat, 6 Dec 2008 17:33:40 EST

The Seashore image editor makes the GIMP image editing engine approachable for novices and includes some cool features.
When I previously reviewed the powerful but geeky GIMP image editor, I found fault with the difficulty of installation and unfamiliarity of the structure for novices and especially for Mac users. As it turns out, Mark Pazolli has adapted the basic GIMP engine to create Seashore, an image editor for the MacOS which addresses many of the concerns I...

Bill O'Reilly Doesn't Like Prop 8 - The Musical

Dave Nalle — Sat, 6 Dec 2008 17:27:16 EST

Bill O'Reilly shows his true colors once again in his reaction to the gentle satire of this clever little mini-musical.
I was looking for an excuse to write about this, and the inimitable Bill O'Reilly provided it on his show last night when he devoted a segment to expressing his outrage over the web release of a short video production called Prop 8 - The Musical. "Oh my, oh my," opined the balding, Brobdingnagian blowhard, "these mincing,...